II 0 d rt until you t
your ve et ble ." What
anxio parent or grandparent
n't rted to ueh co -
i ?
At one meal children m y
re to e t anything, while t
nether devour every thin .
Sometim they live for day
on dfuls of cereal or on'
bread and jelly. And, yet, ex­
cept in ituatio where there'
literally not enough food, most
ki thrive. Ho come?
Sixty ye r go Clara
Davi , a pioneering researcher
in the field of childhood nutri­
tion, 0 erved that the eating
blbi of young children are a
"dietician' nightmare," and
yet over the long haul, and to
the tonishment of the eien-"
tist observing them, the
children in her tudy con-
umed all the nutrients they
needed.
Recently, reported in the
New England Journal of
Medicine, researchers at the
University of Illinoi observed
similar patterns in a group of
15 healthy children aged two
through five.
AT THEIR DAY-CARE
center these children were al­
lowed to choose as much or as
little as they liked from varied
menus including fruits and
fruit juices, cereals, breads,
cream cheese, cottage cheese,
soups, and vegetables.
Preschool children need
I about 1400 calories a day, and
each menu offered about twice
that many from a selection that
was more than nutritionally
adequate. The diet did Include
small amounts of sweets and
chips, which kids usually like.
But, the emphasis was on
fruits, vegetables, and low-fat
diary produc ,and less than 30
-percent of the entire menu's
calories derived from fat. Over
a six-day period the children's
intake at individual meals
varied widely.
When a child ate a lot at one
meal, she tended to eat less at
the next. Suprisingly, the total
intake of calories for each child
remained fairly constant.
The conclusion: s� wor­
rying, stop coaxing. Provide a_
election of nutritious food,
and even finicky eaters will do
all right on his/her own. You
needn't offer twice the re­
quired calories, as was done in
the study. But, keep the cholee
wide, concentrate on fruits,
vegetables, and grains, and
remember that kids will in­
evitably waste some food.
Healthy infants' grow fast, and
the process: slows after 24
months. .
AS THE CHILD grow
and accumulates lean tissue,
his/her metabolic rate per
pound slow, and relative
caloric intake decreases. A
well-nourished, active child
seems to control caloric intake
accordingly ..
Unfortunately; this well­
tuned balance of appeti te, ener­
gy expenditure, and food
intake seldom outlasts
childhood. Confronted with
twice the amount they need to
eat, teens and adults may simp­
ly chow down.
Maybe science will some­
day figure out a way to tretch
tbe dietary wis 0 1 of children
over entire lifetimes,' thus
banishing obesity and it's at­
tendant problem, and making
all diet book! obsolete.
HEALTH
own to
cau e brain
damage and other
neurological
disorders,
especially in young
children.
In con tto the 0 emment' on-
going ttention to le d in pint, ter d oil recyclin
and olin , it virtually ignored ni , w re more d oil' 0011
the 1 d thre d ed by the phazard nd ely recycled per pi
handlin of ed oil. But given th ny ot r tate. California m
overwhelming evidence that th un- d oil under modified 1 tingle
____________ regul ted burning of u ed oil i program t tre d oil just 11 e
, pol oningourhealthandenvironment ny other hazardo w once it i
men become air pollution. Eventual- with lead, Con re hould be e ger to pic cd up from central collection
ly they fal.l b to earth and poison take adv ntage of the opportunity point. Th Cafifornia y tem wor
the land and water well. before it to create national ed oil beca e it encourage consumers to
Pollution from the burning of used management ystem that wor. take their ed oil to collection ltes,
oil is a particular concern beca of There i no excuse for allo ing ny atld giv everyone confidence that
the threat it pas to ,Children. Lead i form oflead pollution to continu .par- the oil will be decontaminated before
known to ca brain damage and ticularty when the ource i ed oil, a it i used again.
otherneurologicaldisorde .especial- valuable resource that can be afely
PB give par nt
grade on horne eye
Reducing lead emissions that pol­
lute the environment j a ell-ac­
cepted and widely endorsed priority
of our environmental tatute and
regulation. For the ake of our
children and our environment, I urge
our people to demand ction from
Did you know?
re not
If you h d the opportunity to If they
pre ent le d po onin hich I m t be ore it .
commonly found in 10 -income
urb n BI , White, d Hispanic
children, would you. dvan ge Of Lead ·
it?
Approximately 90 percent of all
HAUMBURG-According to the eye injurie can be prevented through
National Society to Prevent Blindne fety practices and use of proper eye
(NSPB), too many parents are doing a protection," said Maurice F. Rabb,
D minu job of protecting their M.D., medical directory for NSPB.
children's eyes from hazardous "The afety practices can be as simple
products in the home. A grade no as putting childloclcs on cabinets, plac­
parent can be proud of. ing hazardous products out of
Statistics .show more than 72,000 children's reach or keeping all smok­
�hildIen were treated in hospital emer- ing material far away from thdr
gency rooms last year for injuries sus- eyes."
tained in and around the home. Nearly To help parents determine how
40 percent of the injuries were to dangerous their home can be to young
children younger than five years old. children, NSPB bas developed a home
"Our emergency room taff have eye safety quiz. The quiz tests parents'
een children suffering from various "Eye-O" on which areas of the house
eye injuries associated with projectile pose potential hazards to children's
toys, household cleaners and even eye . The quiz al 0 offers parents
Cigarettes," aid John B. Jeffers, M.D., afety tip . Parents 'C8D purchase the
director of emergency erviceS at the Home Bye atety OUfde(S2.00 plus
Willis Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. $.50 for shipping and handling) by
The eye injuries range from bums on writing to NSPB, 500 E. Remington
the cornea, swollen iris and even loss Rd., Schaumburg. IL 60173. For more
of an eye. "Most of these tragedies information, consumers can contact
co��eb�npre��d�d�N�B's�n����t�l-�-� �
parent taken enough precautions." 331-2020.
failing
afety
THE FACTS ABOUT PELVIC
INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
By IIIdIMI F. JoMs, m, MD
PreIideIIt, TIle Amerkan
of etridans
GYBell:OIOiidltl
One of the most serious threats to
a woman's fertility is pelvic inflam­
matory disease (PID), a disorder
ufectina one million women in thi
country each year. Pelvic inflam­
matory disease is a broad term
referring to infection of the uterus,
ovaries, or fallopian tubes. If the in­
fection is not treated promptly, it
can damaie or block these organs,
causing long-term problems,
includina in fertility. '
The most common cause of PID
. sexually transmitted disease. par­
ticularly gonorrhea and chlamydia,
The organism that cause th
diseases find their way through the
cervix and up into the reproductive
orpns. Another less common cause
of PID is the introduction of in fee-
. tious organisms into the reproduc­
tive tract durin an induced abor­
tion, following delivery of a child,
or during insertion of an
intrauterine device (IUD).
In addition to infertility, other
consequence of PIO include
ectopic preanancy (preanancy out-
'de the uterus), chronic pain, and
abscess form tion. An abscess is a
collection of pus formed by ti ue
disintqration.
The ymptoms of pelvic infection
. include pain in the lower abdomen,
abnormal uterine bleedin , vaainal
discharge, and painful' urination.
Fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting
may also be '.ted with PlD. If
you experience any of th symp­
tom ,you hould report them to
your doctor.
To diaano thi disorder, your
doctor win ask you about your
medical and sexual history and per­
form a pelvic exam to find out if
your reproductive organs are tender
or swollen. He or she also may take
samples of cell from the cervix to
check for ,onorrhea and
chlamydia. The exam may also in­
clude one or more of the following .
tests: culdocentesis-a test to look
for blood or pus behind the uterus,
laparoscopy-a procedure in which
a liaht-transmitting instrument is
used to view the pelvic organs, or
ultrasound-a test in which sound
waves are used to create an imaae of
the organs.
The primary treatment for PIO is
antibiotics. If the disorder is severe
or does not respond to oral an­
tibiotic • hospitalizatior; and ur cry
may be required,
. Because PIO can have serious
consequences, prevention of this
disorder is extremely important.
Havilll multiple sex partners or
'havin a partner with multiple part­
ners arc major risk factors for sex- .
ually transmitted di and PIO.
Therefore, you should be ure to
protect yourself by usina condoms
whenever you arc in a non­
monogamous relationship. If you
think you miaht be at risk for PIO,
talk with your doctor about ways to
protect yourself.
ulf-addrelled,
Next week: Facing the Issue 0/
Cireumcision
""'One in every 20 pre chool age child has a vis on problem that caR cause perman nt eye problem
and sight loss if left untreated.
""'One in four school-age children has a vi Ion problem.
""'More than 600,000 children under the age of 15 have a vision impairment.
i'clnfants hould have an eye examination hortly after birth, again at 6 month of age and s
eturlng preschool years (between the ages of 3 and 5). Periodic examinations are recommends
the school years.
""'Most common types of eye problems seen in children are:
- Myopia (nearsightedness)
- Strabismus (crossed eyes)
- Amplyopia Oazy eye)
i'cMost eye injuries that occur among children under e age of 5 are cau d by:
- Toys inappropriate for the child's age or ability
- Cigarettes
- Household cteaners
""'Most eye Injuries that occur among chUdren during the age� of 5 to 14 ar caused by:
-b eb ' • .l .. :, I
- P and PencilS
- BB guns and pellet guns
-u
""'Ninety percent of all eye injuries can be prevented.
ch ikl-reach
(chlld - rech) n.
1. Formerly Foster Parents Plan, the largest non­
sectarian sponsorship organization in the world.
Founded in 1937 to help needy children and their
families overseas. 2.Away to reach a child and
family and release them from the. crushing grip
of poverty. 3. A wonderful thing to do. 4. An
easy thirig to do.
The above definitions do not come from a dictionary.
They come from the heart. If you want to do
something wonderful for a child and family .._.,
overseas that's not a handout, but =: '1�
that will touch them for the rest of their
lives, call 1-800-323-2822. Or fill out
and mail the coupon below,
����reach. It'll do your heart childreach
r----------------�---
YES! I want to know more
about Childreach .
City
tate Zip
Phone
"3011
Mill to: ChildrtKh
155 Plan v
rwick. RI 02 ·1099
�-------------------
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